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IB230-15 Accounting in Context

Department
Warwick Business School
Level
Undergraduate Level 3
Module leader
Hendrik Vollmer
Credit value
15
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
20% coursework, 80% exam
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

Introductory description

This module is designed to help students understand some of the theoretical assumptions that underlie accounting regulation, practices and research.

Module web page

Module aims

By the end of the module students will have developed their understanding of:

  • The historical emergence of contemporary accounting practices and ideas.
  • The contingent nature of accounting information and regulation, through engaging with the importance of understanding the historical, social, economic and political nature of accounting.
  • The role of economics influenced thought and practice within accounting.
  • The basic elements of normative, positive and critical theory (in accounting)
  • The need to contextualize technical accounting information in order to interpret it.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Normative accounting theory and conceptual frameworks
Positive accounting theory
Critical accounting theory
The social and organisational contexts of accounting 1: truth and power
The social and organisational contexts of accounting 2: the profession
The social and organisational contexts of accounting 3: globalisation and environmental change

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Understand some of the theoretical assumptions that underlie accounting regulation, practices and research.
  • Understand the contingent nature of accounting.
  • Understand some of the controversies and difficulties embodied in accounting practices and theories.
  • Critically examine the nature of accounting through discussing accounting theory and practice.
  • Understand the role played by accounting in the globalisation of certain management ideas and practices.
  • Demonstrate a knowledge of important developments in accounting ideas and research.
  • Contextualise financial statements as part of the process of understanding an organisation's performance.
  • Understand the role of accounting in portraying and creating notions of success.
  • Assess the nature of accounting information in narrative and numerical forms and understand the relationships between financial statements and narrative statements.
  • Understand the wide range of theoretical approaches drawn upon by accounting.
  • Appreciate the historical emergence of accounting and its concepts and the ways in which these shape accounting practice.
  • Understand the effect of the professionalisation of accounting on the relationship between concepts and practices.
  • Develop personal ideas, arguments and opinions in relation to important issues in accounting.

Indicative reading list

Deegan, C. and J. Unerman (2011) “Financial Accounting Theory”, 2nd European edition. London: McGraw Hill
Hines, R.D (1988) “Financial Accounting: In Communicating Reality, We Construct Reality” Accounting, Organizations and Society, 13 (3), pp.251-261
Hines, R. (1991) “The FASB's Conceptual Framework, Financial Accounting and the Maintenance of the Social World”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, 16 (4), pp 313-332
Hopwood , A. and P. Miller (eds) (1994) “Accounting as Social and Institutional Practice”, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Sikka, P. (2009) “Financial Crisis and the Silence of the Auditors”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, 34(6-7), pp. 868–873
Watts, R. and J. Zimmerman (1986), “Positive Accounting Theory”, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall
Young, J. J. (2006) “Making Up Users”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, 31(6), pp. 579–600.

Subject specific skills

Understand the practical and ethical importance of being able to explain why elements of technical accounting
decisions/standards are as they are at any moment in time. (This feeds into the ability to articulate the assumptions
underpinning technical judgments).
Articulate in a general way the importance of understanding measurement assumptions and their impact on accounting numbers.
Interpret and critically analyse the (annual) reports and accounts of organisation.

Transferable skills

Demonstrate written communication skills.
Critically evaluate ideas about issues in accounting.
Demonstrate team work and oral communication.
Appreciate the range of academic accounting literature and its relationship to accounting practice.

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 10 sessions of 2 hours (13%)
Seminars 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%)
Private study 48 hours (32%)
Assessment 73 hours (49%)
Total 150 hours

Private study description

Directed reading; seminar preparation, private study.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group D1
Weighting Study time Eligible for self-certification
Assessment component
Individual Assignment 20% 15 hours Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Assessment component
Online Examination 80% 58 hours No

Exam

~Platforms - AEP


  • Online examination: No Answerbook required
Reassessment component is the same
Feedback on assessment

Cohort feedback on exam; individual feedback on each assignment along with 20-point marking grid.

Past exam papers for IB230

Pre-requisites

To take this module, you must have passed:

Courses

This module is Optional for:

  • UIBA-N20B BSc in Management
    • Year 2 of N20B Management
    • Year 2 of N20B Management
    • Year 2 of N23K Management with Accounting
    • Year 2 of N234 Management with Digital Business
    • Year 2 of N235 Management with Entrepreneurship
    • Year 2 of N232 Management with Finance
    • Year 2 of N252 Management with Marketing
    • Year 2 of N23L Management with Strategy and Organisation
  • Year 2 of UIBA-N400 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance
  • Year 2 of UIBA-N403 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year)
  • Year 3 of UCSA-I1N1 Undergraduate Computer Science with Business Studies
  • Year 4 of UCSA-I1NA Undergraduate Computer Science with Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
  • Year 1 of UIOA-EEU Undergraduate EU Exchange
  • Year 2 of UGEA-RN21 Undergraduate German and Business Studies
  • Year 2 of UIPA-L8N1 Undergraduate Global Sustainable Development and Business
  • Year 2 of UIPA-L8N2 Undergraduate Global Sustainable Development and Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
  • Year 2 of UIBA-N1RA Undergraduate International Business with French
  • Year 2 of UIBA-N1RB Undergraduate International Business with German
  • Year 2 of UIBA-N1RD Undergraduate International Business with Spanish
  • UIBA-N20F Undergraduate International Management
    • Year 2 of N20F International Management
    • Year 2 of N20F International Management
    • Year 2 of N20S International Management (with Accounting)
    • Year 2 of N20T International Management (with Chinese)
    • Year 2 of N20P International Management (with Entrepreneurship)
    • Year 2 of N20M International Management (with Finance)
    • Year 2 of N20U International Management (with French)
    • Year 2 of N20L International Management (with Marketing)
    • Year 2 of N20V International Management (with Spanish)
    • Year 2 of N20W International Management (with Strategy and Organisation)
    • Year 2 of N20N International Management with Digital Business
    • Year 2 of N20E Management (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 2 of N234 Management with Digital Business
  • Year 2 of UIBA-MN3A Undergraduate Law and Business Studies
  • UIBA-N20E Undergraduate Management (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 3 of N20E Management (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 3 of N23N Management with Accounting (with Foundation Year and Placement Year)
    • Year 3 of N23M Management with Accounting (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 3 of N23E Management with Digital Business (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 3 of N23F Management with Entrepreneurship (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 3 of N23D Management with Finance (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 3 of N252 Management with Marketing
    • Year 3 of N254 Management with Marketing (with Foundation Year)
    • Year 3 of N23P Management with Strategy and Organisation (with Foundation Year)
  • UIBA-N20C Undergraduate Management (with Placement Year/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
    • Year 2 of N20M International Management (with Finance)
    • Year 2 of N20B Management
    • Year 2 of N20D Management (Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
    • Year 2 of N20C Management (with Placement Year)
    • Year 2 of N20Q Management with Accounting (with Placement Year)
    • Year 2 of N236 Management with Digital Business (with Placement Year)
    • Year 2 of N237 Management with Entrepreneurship (with Placement Year)
    • Year 2 of N232 Management with Finance
    • Year 2 of N233 Management with Finance (with Placement Year)
    • Year 2 of N253 Management with Marketing (with Placement Year)
    • Year 2 of N23L Management with Strategy and Organisation
    • Year 2 of N20R Management with Strategy and Organisation (with Placement Year)
  • Year 3 of UMAA-G1N4 Undergraduate Mathematics with Business Studies
  • Year 4 of UMAA-G1N5 Undergraduate Mathematics with Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
  • UIOA-EOS Undergraduate Overseas Exchange
    • Year 1 of UEOS Undergraduate Overseas Exchange
    • Year 1 of UEOS Undergraduate Overseas Exchange
  • Year 3 of UPXA-F3N1 Undergraduate Physics and Business Studies
  • Year 4 of UPXA-F3ND Undergraduate Physics and Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
  • Year 1 of UIOA-EUS Undergraduate USA Exchange